The Complete Setzer Legacy

Last week, we launched our Vintage Collection, inspired by the family rings of my great-grandparents, Robert and Mary Jane Setzer. Yesterday, we celebrated MJ's 100th birthday, and today, we're sharing the deeper story, about Bob and Mary Jane's lives, and the values of service, community, and family that shaped the Vintage Collection.

Lives Built on Service

The Setzer story begins with meaning embedded in the very name itself. "Setzer" derives from the German occupation of "stone setter", a skilled craftsman who laid the foundation stones upon which everything else would be built.

In 1897, Lawrence H. Setzer was born into a family that valued precision and hard work. When World War I called, he answered, serving in the U.S. Navy at Puget Sound Navy Yard in Washington. Photographs show Lawrence aboard the S.S. South American during his naval service, where he and his fellow sailors lived and worked during their deployment.

His discharge papers from March 5, 1919, show a young man who served his country honorably, receiving $60 discharge gratuity and $10.50 for travel home to Scranton, Pennsylvania. After returning to civilian life, Lawrence and his wife Edna eventually settled in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where Lawrence founded Setzer Petroleum Co.

His son Robert, also known as Bob, was born in 1925 carrying on this family tradition of service and dedication. Bob joined the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, serving as a Platoon Sergeant at the Marine Barracks in Bainbridge, Maryland. There, he learned discipline and hard work, living by the Marine motto 'Semper Fidelis', Always Faithful. After leaving the military in 1946, he brought that same dedication and discipline to his family and community.

Mary Jane, known as MJ or Lindy, was born the same year in Columbia, Pennsylvania. Her father, Harry Lindenberger, was an insurance agent shaped by his time in the Boys League of Good Citizenship. In a letter to his former teacher, he credited the organization with molding his character and giving him "the ambition and initiative to succeed in the business world." This commitment to service and community became the foundation of MJ's upbringing, values she carried throughout her life.

Starting a Life Together

No one knows exactly how Bob and MJ met, but in the late 1940s, they were often seen together at Springers. Jean's memory of one particular evening captures the start of their relationship:

"During the mid forties, Springers was THE place to go, one evening I walked in with a date and a table was filled with many friends from Harrisburg. Bob Setzer was in the group and asked me what my sister was doing, my reply was 'She is at home doing nothing,' He looked at me and said 'she told me she was busy!' I figured I really put my foot in my mouth on that one but it seems she wasn't too busy after that."

That playful exchange led to more evenings together, and before long, they were planning a future.

They married on August 7, 1948, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Camp Hill. As noted in the newspaper, MJ wore an ivory satin gown with lace sleeves and a pearl-topped veil, carrying white orchids. At the Penn-Harris Hotel reception, a friend remembered MJ gently patting Bob's cheek during their kiss, a quiet moment that stayed with those who saw it.

Their honeymoon destination was Swampscott, Massachusetts, and the journey itself was full of simple joys. MJ wrote about their first stop:

"We spent our first night in Allentown at the Trayler Hotel. We had a lovely room and a pretty little porch. We ate breakfast in the quaint little coffee shop at the hotel and then went on our merry way. And what a time we did have!"

Bob's memory of their arrival in Swampscott painted a vivid picture of two young newlyweds:

"Arriving at Swampscott, Sunday early evening... long lobby, string quartet playing... little old ladies all dressed up, sitting & listening to music. We were wrinkled and disheveled, sweaty and hot, MJ in a pink suit, hat with pink flower sticking up and wearing an orchid... we had to walk the long lobby."

They spent days on the beach, dancing, playing bridge, and enjoying meals together. MJ recalled:

"Our days were spent on the pretty white beach, on the golf course and I mustn't forget to mention the dining room. Not only was it pleasant but the food was out of this world. We met some lovely people, went dancing, saw a movie, played bridge and just had a perfect time being together. It all ended too soon... How, it all seems like a beautiful dream and yet it was so real and wonderful. It was the prelude to what I know will be a perfect married life, together."

A Home of Family and Traditions

Their first home was a modest three and a half room apartment in Harrisburg, furnished with maple furniture, a yellow sofa, and made warm with wedding gifts.

MJ's early cooking attempts, like over-salting the ham or roasting a chicken with the innards inside, had Bob chuckling, always a "sweet patient husband" as she put it. 

They later built a home on Lincoln Street in Camp Hill, where they raised their daughters, Suzie (my grandmother), Marianne, and Carolyn. Their home was filled with the warmth of family traditions and everyday moments that became treasured memories. There were Christmas mornings discovering black velvet bedroom slippers with bunny tails, summer evenings with homemade ice cream and sparklers with family friends the Mecks, and family camp each year with "Mr. Clean!" 

Bob was nicknamed "Mr. Clean" for his tidy Marine habits, ensuring their cabins were always spotless! A neighbor joked about trying to keep up with Bob's meticulous lawn care, "there's a rumor Bob knows each blade of grass by name and keeps separate hair dresser appointments for each."

MJ showed care in small but meaningful ways. She'd bring rain boots to school if it might rain, drop off sweaters at the movie theater, or check on her daughters during sleepovers, eyes half closed, whispering, "Girls, keep it down," so she "wouldn't wake up." Her daughters still laugh about it.

A Life of Community

Bob and MJ were active in their Harrisburg community. Bob worked in real estate after time at Setzer Petroleum Co., helping with Harrisburg Chamber of Commerce projects and serving as president of the Zembo Shrine. He also served on the church council at Trinity Lutheran Church. MJ, a Mary Washington College graduate and former teacher at Susquehanna Township High School, made their home a welcoming place for friends after Sunday School and tennis games.

Every summer meant returning to the same rented apartment at 93rd street in Stone Harbor. Annual family camp became sacred time together, as did holiday celebrations at the West Shore Country Club.

On their 50th anniversary in 1998, many friends wrote about their kindness in a book their daughter, Marianne, put together to celebrate their marriage. Barbara Morrow, a family friend and fellow Marine wife who understood the challenges of military life, perhaps said it best:

"It takes a lot of living and loving and giving to stay together that long. And by golly you made it... keep on loving each other and caring for each other and never fail to tell each other 'I love you' once a day."

Mary Jane's Final Chapter 

Even in her final days in August 2009, more than eleven years after their golden anniversary, MJ remained the same gracious, caring person her friends had loved for decades. She was concerned about being a burden to her caregivers. Made calls frequently to check in on her friends and children. She still found joy in simple pleasures, "wanted chocolate mint ice cream with hot fudge" and "had a glass of wine at 11:00." and reheating her coffee often.

The devotion of her daughters during this time mirrored the love she had given them throughout their lives. Suzie, Marianne, and Carolyn coordinated care, visited regularly, and ensured their mother had everything she needed. The detailed, loving attention to MJ's comfort, ensuring she had her favorite foods, showed how completely they had absorbed the lessons of love and care she had taught them.

Made To Last

From Lawrence's WWI naval service to Bob's WWII Marine service, from the Boys League of Good Citizenship to the Zembo Shrine, from MJ's teaching days to raising her three fine daughters, this is the story of a family built on service, community, and lasting love.

As Bob and MJ's great granddaughter, I carry forward the values of a family who served their country, built their communities, and proved that love can last a lifetime. When MJ wrote about their honeymoon, "It was the prelude to what I know will be a perfect married life, together," she was right. But it was also the prelude to a family story that would carry through generations.

Each piece in the J.Tyler Jewelry collection honors this story of love, service, and craftsmanship. From the MJ ring that started it all to every stone we set, we continue the family tradition of building something meant to last, just like Bob and MJ did, with the same precision, care, and attention to lasting beauty that they would have appreciated.